CHRIS believes the punishment dished out by FIFA is over the top and that it's time Suarez was given help instead of being slaughtered by TV pundits like Alan Shearer and Robbie Savage.

Luis Suarez holds his teeth and appeals to the ref after being accused of biting Giorgio Chiellini's shoulder

LUIS SUAREZ needs help. For the third time in his career he has bitten someone.

This is totally unacceptable and a terrible example for kids around the world. Suarez is a role model. He is a highly-paid world-class footballer.

But he’s also a human being who can’t control himself at times and rather than punch, kick, butt or elbow he bites opponents.

Most, if not all players, have lashed out and, dare I say it, conned referees. They’ve dived, sworn, pulled shirts, time-wasted, committed professional fouls – they will do anything to gain an advantage.

Most players have seen the red mist at some point and reacted in a way they shouldn’t have.

I have done all the above and I shouldn’t have. I admit I was wrong. I dished it out but took it as well.

Don’t forget my career was ended by a stray elbow from Nemanja Vidic but it would be hypocritical to moan.

Like most players I had a desire and a will to win and lost the plot many times.

It’s a physical game and it was my job. I was desperate to do everything in my power to win for my team, the fans, impress the manager and selfishly do well for myself because I wanted to reach the top and win everything I could.

I wouldn’t say my mentality differed too much in this effect from Suarez. I elbowed, kicked and used my physicality when things went against me at times. The older I got the more streetwise I became at protecting myself. I got more subtle.

Suarez certainly isn’t subtle when things go against him. But a nine-game international ban and four- month worldwide suspension is absolutely ridiculous and FIFA have gone big with the global outrage.

Let’s put things in perspective and look at some of the hypocrisy which is part and parcel of football as well as life nowadays.

It’s important to understand and differentiate between Suarez’s reaction and a premeditated action.

Suarez bites as a reaction because he can’t get his own way. This is totally different to somebody going over the top of the ball or throwing an elbow as this is premeditated and in my view much worse.

In addition an elbow or over-the-top tackle will generally cause a far more serious injury. Belgium’s Steven Defour straight legs an opponent and deservedly got a red card in the South Korea game. He easily could have broken the leg of Kim Shin-Wook.

He won’t get a nine-game ban and four-month suspension but the truth is Defour’s intent was far more dangerous than Suarez. The punishment should fit the crime.

There is no place in football or life for biting, trying to break someone’s leg, elbowing, butting or punching. They’re all intentional acts and should all carry the same punishment.

Suarez has made an almighty error of judgment. But it seems to me he needs help to control this behaviour as it isn’t normal. It would be a better thing for FIFA to offer help to Suarez, Fine him yes, but support him and help him control himself.

Suarez and Uruguay didn’t get much sympathy from the BBC panellists of Robbie Savage, Danny Murphy and Alan Shearer.

While I understand that of course Suarez deserved to be criticised by the pundits I did chuckle. Many ex-players have short memories.

Savage and Shearer especially wanted blood. Savage just tries to be outrageous at times and obviously has lost all memory of the type of player he was.

I would doubt if Savage could admit to never putting in a dangerous tackle with premeditated intent.

And I seem to remember Shearer nearly taking Neil Lennon’s head off with his boot a number of years ago and that looked pretty intentional, even if the FA somehow found him not guilty of deliberately kicking my old team-mate. There is no need for ex-players putting the boot in.

Zinedine Zidane got a three-game ban, five days’ community service and just a £5000 fine for headbutting Marco Materazzi in the 2006 Champions League Final.

FIFA are basically saying it’s less serious to butt than bite. I’d have thought most people would prefer to be bitten than butted given the choice.

Us former players and FIFA, Liverpool and Uruguay need to try to support Suarez and try to help him change his ways.

It’s all too easy to kick a man when he is down – and bite him as well.